Inauguration, in Istanbul, of Center responsible for exports of Ukrainian wheat

About twenty civil and military representatives will manage the follow -up of the cargoes.

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As planned by the Cereal Agreement, the joint coordination center (CCC) responsible for the Ukrainian wheat export control via the Black Sea was inaugurated on Wednesday July 27, in Istanbul. Installed in the heart of a military academy, in the Maslak district, on the European bank of the Turkish metropolis, the center will be responsible for inspecting ships that will ensure the exit of cereals, sunflower oil and Ukrainian fertilizers towards the global markets.

Thanks to the mediation of Turkey and the UN, kyiv and Moscow agreed on July 22 in Istanbul, to facilitate the export of around 25 million tonnes of cereals blocked in the Ukrainian ports of the Black Sea since the start of the Russian invasion on February 24. About twenty civilian and military representatives of Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the UN – five each – will manage the registration of the ships, will ensure the follow -up of the journeys and inspect the cargoes at the time of the loading in Ukrainian ports and unloading in Turkish ports.

specifying that “no military presence” was planned to escort the convoys, Hulusi Akar, the Turkish Defense Minister, said that demining was the responsibility of the center, but that it was not Not “necessary at this stage”. According to the government of kyiv, it will only take place in narrow secure maritime corridors.

hundreds of ships blocked

Turkey, which has many mine flirtators, said it was ready to put its know-how at the service of kyiv. Help will be provided if we must emine the Ukrainian ports, said Akar. A scenario that the government of kyiv wants to avoid in fear of a Russian landing. According to the Ukrainian navy, the three loading ports – Odessa, Tchornomorsk, Ioujne – started to work. “The preparation and planning of the first departures continue,” confirmed the Turkish Defense Minister. However, the first convoy, which was supposed to leave Wednesday from the port of Tchornomorsk, south of Odessa, acting as a test, has not yet taken the sea.

The war has wreaked havoc on the Black Sea trade, nearly a hundred merchant ships and their crews being blocked in the Ukrainian ports since the start of the Russian offensive. The agreement provides that they can borrow the “secure” maritime corridors as quickly as possible by the control center in Istanbul. But, obviously, the preparation, in particular the restoration of boats, the mobilization of crews, the insurance formalities take more time than expected. Maritime companies are slow to get the wheat out while insurers try to assess the risks, among others that posed by the mines.